


Falling Stars & Green Eyes

by xenoglossia (oncharredwings)



Series: One Shots & Shorts [22]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post KH 3, Reunions, the scene we deserved to see tbh, when Isa is recompleted he finds Lea first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 04:17:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18909391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncharredwings/pseuds/xenoglossia
Summary: “Do you think he’ll be back?” Axel whispersThe question Axel keeps asking and hoping, soon, Isa will return to him.





	Falling Stars & Green Eyes

“Do you think he’ll be back?” Axel whispers, fingers tracing over freckles dusting Roxas’ shoulder blades. They’ve been lying in bed for a few hours, just wanting to be together after such a long absence apart. “I mean, maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up. He hasn’t shown up yet and it’s been a week-.”

“Axel.” Roxas rolls over so they can look each other in the eye, his blues shining like stars.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “I know you’re tired of hearing about Isa.”

“It’s not that.” Roxas’ fingers walk over Axel’s arms until they can interlace and hold hands, Roxas’ squeezing him tightly. “I know you miss Isa and I have hope he’ll be back. Not everyone was found after recompletion. There’s still time for him to return. Maybe it’s just taking longer for him.”

“Maybe.”

“He’ll be back.”

“He said _if_ -.”

“Axel.” Roxas releases his hand to cup his face, drawing them together for a small and short kiss. “He’ll be back. You have to believe it.”

Axel nods – Roxas is right. He has to have faith Isa will return. “I wonder where he’ll show up.”

“Weren’t you two residents of Radiant Gardens?” Roxas asks. “I bet he’ll show up there.”

“That’s true… Ventus asked about him the other day. Wanted to know what happened to us. I told him it was a long story.” Axel chuckles but the laugh is dark because a _long story_ barely covers the spectrum of their time in the Organization together. Groomed by Xemnas, Isa became Saïx – someone he barely recognized at all.

Roxas kisses his forehead and pulls him close so Axel can nuzzle beneath Roxas’ chin. The downside of having such a drastic size difference is the creative ways they have to fold up in bed together. “He helped me return,” Roxas says, voice soft. “I couldn’t believe it when I found out who was helping me within the Organization. I thought it was Xion but it was Saï- Isa. He helped me come back to you and to Xion. He knew what had happened was wrong. His heart was already swaying by the end, Axel. I think with just a little more time, he would have been able to join you in your cause but we just didn’t have that time.”

“Do you think he’ll remember me?” Axel whispers while his mood crashes with the idea Isa may have forgotten him completely upon recompletion.

“Yes. Without a doubt, he’ll come to find you first.” Roxas kisses the top of his head and strokes his hair. “You should get some rest, you’re exhausted.”

“I can’t sleep. I can’t sleep because I can’t stop thinking.”

Roxas hums. “Do you want me to make you stop thinking?”

A shiver slivers down Axel’s spine as he realizes what Roxas is implying. He smirks and feels a red hot blush flood his cheeks while he presses his forehead into Roxas’ collarbone. “Dirty.”

“Well?”

“Yeah, yeah help me stop thinking.”

Roxas winks and slithers down beneath the blankets. Axel keeps his gaze focused on the window and the stars shining overhead. In the distance, one streaks across the sky as it falls toward the sea.

 

* * *

 

The last time nobodies had been recompleted, Isa had not been on the list. He’d resisted and remained Saïx. He knew, more than anything, Axel had wanted him to return but he hadn’t been able to come back; he hadn’t been strong enough. This time, however, is different but he hadn’t expected recompletion to hurt so much. Isa groans as he slowly stands and stretches, feeling every muscle and joint in his entire body creak and pop. He stumbles over to where he can see his reflection in a window, touching his face, examining his eyes – no longer gold, for the first time in over ten years, he’s able to see his eyes as green.

Green as the trees in Radiant Garden.

Tears flood his eyes but he brushes them away – there is no time for crying right now. He needs to find Axel.

Lea.

 _Lea_.

A few tears slip down his face and he manages to find his way out of the facility he landed in until he stumbles out into another room. For a moment, the new light makes his eyes squint and blink, and he has to adjust to the brighter room but finally, he realizes he’s within Ansem’s old facility in Radiant Garden. His heart picks up speed and he runs through hallways, using turns and twists he hasn’t used in years until sunlight finally basks over his face. The sun beams down so harshly, he has to shield his eyes as he adjusts to daylight.

The sun feels warm on his skin – a feeling he hasn’t had in years. Ten years, he’s gone without feeling much of anything at all, not even hot or cold. The organization’s leather jacket feels oppressive in this heat and he slowly unzips the heavy thing to shed like a second skin. The jacket puddles heavily at his feet and he stretches his limbs, still too hot in the black leggings and shirt he has on beneath.

There are a few passers-by on the street and they all turn to stare at him, giving him side-eyed glances, and hurrying past as if he’s diseased. Isa fumbles forward, picking up the coat to carry over his arm, and head toward the main gates. The guards there will know who to contact. He needs to find Axe- Lea.

Of course, he will call Lea Axel if that is now his preferred name but he hopes Axel won’t mind him using Lea in private. They missed out on so much while they grew up in the Organization. They suffered so greatly and Isa blames himself for what happened to his friend. He pushed, he kept going, he watched Lea slide into darkness and when he went down, too, there was nothing he could do to help Lea break free.

The guards at the gates look shocked to see him and he approaches with caution. They may still see him as an enemy but then his eyes light up when he sees someone he recognizes just standing within the gates. Zexion – no, Ienzo is his real name.

“Ienzo!” he gasps and the boy turns to face him. His one visible eye widens and he rushes up to the gates and shoos the guards away to allow Isa through.

“Isa, yes?” Ienzo asks and smiles. “I am so glad to see you. You took quite a while to come back. Longer than the rest.”

“Is everyone back?” Isa asks.

Ienzo nods. “That I can discern, yes. You were the last.”

“Where is Lea?”

“Currently, I believe, he is in Twilight Town. If you like I can send a message to Riku and he will come to pick you up to take you there.” Ienzo’s smile is soft and friendly while he leads Isa inside. “But first, let’s find you some new clothes, yes? Those jackets are so _hot_ this time of year.”

Isa nods, following Ienzo inside.

He made it back and soon, he will see Lea again.

A new feeling sprouts in Isa’s chest and it’s not until he’s able to stand beneath a hot shower and scrub away the last of his old life he realizes what he’s feeling is happiness.

  

* * *

 

 

“Good morning, Roxas, Axel.”

Axel waves to Xion while she comes to join them, sitting at their sides, holding a pouch with coins inside. “What’s that?” Axel asks.

“Money for the beach,” Xion says with a warm smile. “We never got to go together. I thought it’d be fun.”

Axel’s face breaks out into a smile and Roxas looks just as excited. “Yeah!” Axel gasps. “That’d be great.”

“Today?” Xion asks, eyes full of hope.

Roxas nods. “Yes! Definitely. Can I invite my other friends? Is that okay?”

Axel tries not to show any sign of jealousy but he can immediately feel a twinge of it climbing onto his back. He wants to accept Roxas’ other friends, his Twilight Town friends because they helped Roxas out when he couldn’t. However, anytime his new friends tag along, Axel can’t help but feel jealous. He wishes they were only in the fake Twilight Town and not in the real one.

_Stop being unfair, Roxas deserves friends outside of you, too._

“So, shall we go?” Xion asks.

Axel glances down at his half-finished breakfast and shrugs. “Sure, let’s-.” The sound of the doors opening make them all turn to see Riku in the door of Little Chef’s café where they have breakfast every morning, and a new figure follows in behind. At first, Axel can’t make out their face but then his eyes widen as he realizes who is at Riku’s side.

“Is that….?” Xion asks, her voice trailing off as they all squint.

“Isa,” Axel whispers, tears filling his eyes so fast he can hardly see. He trips over his own feet to stand up and race forward, throwing his arms around Isa’s broad shoulders, and yanking him into a hug so hard he hopes he cracks Isa’s ribs and spine. “ _Isa_.”

“Lea,” Isa gasps, nuzzling his face against Axel’s shoulder.

“You’re _here_! You made it back!” Axel pauses to pull back and then he slaps Isa on the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“Don’t you do that again! You scared me half to death! I didn’t think you were coming back!”

Isa snorts and shakes his head, rubbing where Axel hit him. “To be fair, neither did I.”

“But you’re here!” Axel sweeps Isa into another hug, lifting him off of his feet and squeezing him until he hears Isa squeak. “You’re really here!”

“I told you,” Isa gasps, coughing once Axel stops squeezing. He traces his fingers under Axel’s eyes where he collects a few wet tears. “You need those upside down tears to stop from crying.”

“Shut up,” Axel replies but presses their foreheads together, fingers lacing until they can hold hands, and breathe together. Isa is back – his best friend is _back_. After a decade, he has Isa back. “I missed you, Isa.”

“I missed you, Lea. I am so sorry that I did this-.”

“Hey, it wasn’t just you. We were in this together,” Axel shoots back. “Don’t put everything on yourself.”

Isa glances over his shoulder at Roxas and Xion who are still sitting at the table. “I owe them an apology too,” he whispers.

Axel nods in understanding. Isa owes them more than one apology but he’s sure Isa knows he owes them a lifetime of debt. He steps aside so Isa can approach, curling in on himself to appear smaller. It’s then he really looks at Isa, notes he’s wearing some clothing too big for his body, probably borrowed – he would have to ask Merlin to help Isa obtain a new outfit to celebrate his new life.

Xion and Roxas stare up at Isa while he speaks and Axel gives them space. He doesn’t need to crowd and snoop but from the look on both of their faces, they aren’t exactly _happy_ to see Isa but then Xion’s face softens first. She reaches over to take Isa’s hand in a slow handshake. Axel’s eyes light up as he sees Isa re-introduce himself to Roxas and Xion.

He knows, from Roxas explaining, _Isa_ , as Saïx, helped Roxas return. He obtained the replica and helped him on his journey back to being recompleted. He’d been thrilled to know Isa really had been in there, deep down, but he’d been _there_. Now he’s himself again and Axel couldn’t be happier. He has all of his friends back – Roxas, Xion, Isa. They’re all here.

His family.

“Are you crying?” Roxas asks and Axel quickly wipes his face because he is definitely crying. “Come on, we’re all going to the beach.”

“Isa, too?” Axel asks. He tries to keep the excitement out of his voice in case they didn’t want Isa to join but Roxas nods.

“Yeah,” he says. “Isa, too. I’m going to go find Olette, Hayner, and Pence. We’ll meet you guys at the train station.”

Axel nods. “Okay. Thanks, Roxas.”

“Look, Isa and I aren’t going to be besties anytime soon but I know he’s your friend. A really good friend and I know you would want me to try… Plus… he did help me. I won’t ever like him, I don’t think, but I can at least tolerate him,” Roxas replies. “For you.”

Axel hugs Roxas tight and hopes his thanks is transferable before they all head outside and Roxas disappears on a skateboard off toward where his friends hang out. Xion takes Axel’s hand and Axel takes Isa’s. They’re all together and finally going to the beach. Maybe there really is a world where they can all sit together and eat ice cream.


End file.
